Our family's things aren't always what they seem
by Lao Shi
Summary: It had been a month since Zuko started to look for his mother after becoming the Fire Lord. He did everything to find a clue about her and then, he found a big secret about her, about his family... Iroh, Zuko Father-Son
1. Chapter 1

******Disclaimer: 'Avatar: The Last Airbender' and all its characters are property of ********Nickedoleon,******** Mike and Bryan... **

"Where is my mother? Tell me!" Zuko asked angrily.

"You didn't really think I will answer you that, did you?" Ozai smirked at Zuko's question.

"You..."

Knowing this visit was nothing but a waste, Zuko turned back and left the royal prison. It had been a month since his groups separated. Aang and Katara went traveling all over the word, Sokka and Suki went to Kyoshi Island and Toph returned to her home, to her parents. Zuko started to find the last people of his precious family, his mother, Ursa...

To find her, Zuko did everything he could, asking all the old maids and servants in the palace, finding every single clue about her banishment, asking all the members of his mother site and Ozai. But he couldn't find anything...

He even sought his uncle's help. Iroh told Zuko that he would make every members of The order of white lotus to find her and Zuko didn't have to worry. But how could he not worry? After all these years, he eventually had the chance to get his mother back.

"There must be something about her in the palace... There must be!"

Zuko said as he went into the palace and then, he saw Mai was standing at the stairs to the second floor.

"Zuko!" Mai called his name loudly.

"What's wrong?" Zuko asked as he came near to his lover.

"You have a guest. Your uncle. He is in the Fire Lord's chamber." She pointed at the biggest door with a Fire Nation's emblem on it.

"What? He came all ways here from Ba Sing Se?" Zuko surprised.

"Yeah. And I don't think you should make him wait for long." Mai smiled.

"You don't need to tell me that."

Zuko smiled then he ran into where his uncle was. The only reason his uncle came all way here must be...

"Uncle!?" Zuko burst into his chamber.

"Hello, Fire Lord Zuko." Iroh smiled as he looked at his nephew and put down the tea cup.

"I missed you so much..." Zuko ran into Iroh and hugged his uncle tightly.

"There there, we just met each other last two weeks. Don't act too overly emotional." Iroh patted at Zuko's back.

"So, did you find my mother?" Zuko released his uncle and asked joyfully like that a kid asked for gifts from his father who just returned home.

"Phew, somehow I know this will happen." Iroh sighed and smiled. "I have news, but you won't like it, don't get too upset."

"You have no idea where she is, right?" Zuko looked disappointed.

"No, not really. I said I have news... But the thing is... It is hard for me to give it to you." Iroh said sadly as he took out a red scroll from his sleeve.

"What's that? And why it is hard for you to give it?" Zuko pointed at the scroll.

"Do you remember the secret chamber which had several scrolls about the royal family's history?" Iroh looked at the scroll and said slowly.

"Yeah. Is this one from that chamber, too? But why is it so wrinkled-up? I remember that all of them were kept in good shape."

"It's because this one was taken from the chamber a long time ago." Iroh answered as he looked at Zuko with his sad golden eyes.

"What!? Who dared do that? And why do you have that scroll?" Zuko asked rapidly as he pointed at the scroll.

"Because..." Iroh sighed before going back to talking "I was the one who took it."


	2. Chapter 2

After a moment of freezing, Zuko snapped out of it and scolded at his uncle.

"What do you mean that you took it? And the last time I checked, there were all of the scrolls in last thirty years."

"The one which is in the chamber right now is the fake one. This is the real one. And I have a reason to do that..." Iroh raised the scroll and looked at it with his sad golden eyes.

"Give me the scroll!" Zuko snatched the scroll from his uncle's hand.

Iroh looked at Zuko sadly then he started to leave the room. Seeing the Fire Lord didn't have any reaction, Iroh mumbled before going back to leaving.

"I wish I never have to show you that..."

His small words still couldn't escape the Fire Lord's ears. But Zuko didn't stop his uncle, Iroh's words only made him to want to read the scroll as soon as possible...

As he read the scroll, his shock was bigger and bigger. The scroll which was being hold by him was totally different with the scroll in the secret chamber. It started in the spring of seventeen years ago, one year before Zuko's birth...

"Lady Ursa - the only daughter of prime minister of the Fire Nation, Zhou Yun - has become 18 years old in February this year. As Fire Lord Azulon and his childhood friend promised, Lady Ursa will soon get married with one of two princes of the Fire Nation, crown prince Iroh or prince Ozai. Crown prince Iroh lost his wife when they gave birth to their son, Lu Ten eight years ago and he still didn't get married. Prince Ozai was still young and unmarried.

On Lady Ursa's birthday, their parents threw a big party to congratulate Lady Ursa and more important, it was used to find out who Lady Ursa really want to get married. In the party, prince Ozai stood alone and drunk wine all the times as if he didn't care anything about this party. In the main hall, no one can see any main characters of the party except him. Because lady Ursa and crown prince Iroh already walked out of the party to get to the garden alone right after the beginning of the party. It seems the marriage was decided.

At the end of July, the marriage was complete. But lady Ursa had changed her mind. So in the end, she became prince Ozai's wife. Next month, prince Ozai and lady Ursa had their happy news for Fire Nation: Lady Ursa started carrying her husband's blood.

But their happy time didn't last long. In September, a great numbers of Waterbenders of the South Pole started to attack some northern isles of us. The whole army had to prepared for combat. Crown prince Iroh took the lead in the front line as a general and prince Ozai started to join several war meetings in several places.

The battle ends at the end of this year. General Iroh created a flawless win again. Water Tribe will be inactive for a long time because of this. So the only one left is the Earth Kingdom with its great capital, Ba Sing Se...."

Zuko threw the scroll to the floor then he hold his head and screamed. His scream can be heard all over the palace. With the scroll and Iroh's gestures, he understood everything that why did Iroh took and wanted to hide this scroll forever...

Mai started in surprised then she ran into her lover's chamber as fast as she could. When she ran into the second floor, she saw the old general was sitting, buried his face in his arms right next to the door of the Fire Lord's chamber. Iroh didn't leave after all, he waited for his beloved Zuko's reation outside. And after hearing Zuko's scream, the only thing he could do was that...


	3. Chapter 3

"Arghhh"

"Zuko, What wrong!?" Mai ran into near her lover and kneel before him.

"Mai, I can't believe... I was that foolish..." Zuko said in a voice choked with emotion.

"You did bad thing to your uncle again? Phew, you really made me worried." Mai sighed and then she hugged Zuko. "Don't worry, everything will return to normal soon."

"No... I don't think everything can ever return to normal again... Uncle... No, he is..." Zuko stopped talking right before saying the key word.

"What's wrong?"

"He is... my... father." Zuko said slowly.

"What are you blabbing about? Of course, he is a real father to you." Mai smiled.

"No, when I meant father, I meant my real father..."

"What?" Mai released Zuko and she was struck dumb.

"It was so obvious.... He was right, I am the one who never think anything through. In my life, even when I tried my best to please Ozai, I still received nothing but pain and scar. And all father's love which I got was from no one but my uncle..."

"Slow down, Zuko. I don't think I follow you." Mai snapped out of it and asked worriedly.

"In the offical history, it only wrote that my mother got married with Ozai and nothing more. But it was an amazing lie. The scroll which wrote the very truth was replaced by the fake one a long time ago. And somehow, all of the records of that year were changed to fit the fake and no one talked about that ever again."

"The scroll which wrote the very truth?" Mai blinked.

"Yeah, and that is the one." Zuko pointed at said scroll on the floor.

He looked at Mai's surprising face when she read it and then, he stood up and ran to the door.

"Zuko! Where are you going?" Mai said worriedly.

Zuko stopped and then he turned back with a happy smile on his face. "Can't you tell? I am going to get a reunion with my father after all these years."

"Zuko..." Mai smiled.

"Make sure you ask the servants to make a party tonight." After finishing that, Zuko went back to dashing out of the room.

Zuko ran as fast as he could with the thought that Iroh left the palace and he would have to search for his father. But unfortunately, he couldn't realize his father was still here all the time, right next to the door.

After hearing Zuko's saying, Iroh was so happy to finally get back his son, the one who always called him "Uncle". He couldn't remember when did he start to see that word was vexing. It hurted him so much when he heard that from his own son. But from now on, that word would return to Ozai as it meant to be. He would never be called like that by Zuko again.

And because of that he is happy, he returned to be a cheerful old man. He immediately thought about a plan that he would continue sitting like this and waited for his son to come out and call him father instead of running to his son first.

Hearing the sound of dashing was closer, Iroh smirked and mumbled joyfully. "Here it comes."

But the dashing sound became smaller and smaller until he couldn't hear anything. Iroh looked up and there was no one here. Zuko ran so fast to see that his father was sitting right next to the door. Iroh pouted his lips and crossed his arm.

"Tch... Stupid son..."


	4. Chapter 4

That night, the palace was noisy with laughter and music. A big secret of the royal family was revealed but it seemed that the old maids and servants weren't very surprising. Maybe because they all knew the truth. It had been a long time since the last time that the royal palace was alive like that.

Today, fire lord Zuko had found his real father, general Iroh. A big party was organized to celebrate that. A lot of top quality ginseng were prepared by the servants for this party because ginseng tea is general Iroh's favorite. The maids was decorating the main hall and singing in harmony.

There were two person stood on the stair and looked at the scene. They wore the uniform of The jasmine dragon tea shop. The old man started to talk.

"This sure brings a lot of memories. The grand opening of my tea shop. And you decided to share that special day with me."

"Yeah, and now I think I know how much did it mean to you in that day, father" Zuko closed his eyes. "But I also made such a worst mistake in the next day." Zuko scratched his head.

"You made it up to me right after that." Iroh looked up at Zuko.

"Huh? But I didn't do anything but trouble you at the jail." Zuko blinked.

"Not the jail, it was on the deck of Ba Sing Se city..." Iroh stopped a little before going back to saying "You didn't want to return to Fire Nation at first, but when Azula threatened she might do bad things to me on the trip home. You decided to return immediately. That was enough to make it up."

"Father... But... how can you know that?" Zuko blushed.

"Don't underestimate The order of the white lotus. We are everywhere." Iroh laughed at his son's gesture. "But in fact, I think I was in debt to you more than that you were to me."

"Don't say that, father."

"There is a chance that all the bad things you had to bear was because of me, because of that Ozai knew the truth."

"It's not your fault, father. Before I went into that meeting, you warned me but I still spoke." Zuko looked at the floor sadly.

"But I was so proud of you." Iroh cheered his son on. "Even you was living with Azula and Ozai, you still remained as a righteous boy."

"It's properly because he spent much more time with you, uncle." A voice startled the two firebenders.

"Mai, what are you doing!? Don't startle us like that!" Zuko turned back and said angrily with his lover.

"The party's preparation was finished but you two was still standing here and blabbing about your faults." Mai smiled. "You two want everyone to wait until you finish at midnight?"

"Yeah, you are right... Ok! Let's get this party started!" Zuko yelled happily.

In the party, everyone was so happy that no one care about the grade anymore. They talked and dance like a big family. No one can tell this is the fire nation was so deadly just a month before. On a table...

"So... do you know where mother is?" Zuko put his tea cup on the table.

"Of course. I can tell that she is more closer than you can imagine." Iroh laughed.

"Really? Where is she?" Zuko blinked.

"In our department in Ba Sing Se."

"What? She is living with you? I... I can't believe it. Why couldn't I see her when I came there?"

"She avoided you, of course. We didn't want you to know the truth, remember?" Iroh smiled.

"Sometimes you are a pretty cruel dad, you know that, right?" Zuko sighed and smiled.

"I do." Iroh laughed harder and then, he raised his hand to the maid "More tea, please!"

"I will go get it for you." Zuko stood up.

"Thank you, son." Iroh picked a pie and ate it. "Mm... This is tasty."

Zuko came to the maid who made tea. Seeing him, the maid immediately prepared a cup of tea. But Zuko stopped her.

"No. Please give me some cactus juice."

"Cactus juice? But, my lord...."

"Don't ask, just go get it."

"Yes. Please wait a moment."

A minutes later, Zuko brought a big tea cup to his father. But the juice in that cup was cactus juice, not ginseng tea.

"Here, dad. Sorry for making you wait." Zuko gave the tea cup to his father.

"Thanks" Iroh grabbed the cup and sipped his "tea" cup.

"You are welcome." Zuko said and then, he turned back and mumbled with an evil smirk. "Got you, dad."

"Zuko?"

"Yes...?"

Zuko turned to face his father. The next thing he registered was that his mouth was full of cactus juice because of that he was forced to drink his father's "tea" cup. After a moment of silence, those two firebenders laughed so loudly as everyone looked at them with surprised looks.

Later, the fire lord and the old general stood on the food table and sang as loudly as they could.

"It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se~~~~"

A/N: Maybe you guys already knew but I still wanted to note. Zuko really didn't want to return to Fire Nation with Azula at first. But in the very end, he decied to returned because Azula threatened "Poor, poor uncle. I wonder if he'll even survive the trip home.". It really happened in the prequel comic 3 XD.


	5. Chapter 5

After a crazy night, the general and his son were completely exhausted. They lied prone on the bed. They sang continuously until the sun rose even everybody left to get some sleeps for next day.

"Cactus juice is dangerous." Zuko groaned.

"Non taken." Iroh sighed "And to think we will have to return to Ba Sing Se today..."

"Huh? Why do we have to do that?"

"Don't you want to see your mother as soon as you can? Besides, I have to return soon."

"What? Mom gave you a deadline for returning?" Zuko joked.

"Yeah... We prepared for a picnic on this weekend." Iroh sighed.

"Don't tell me the great general Iroh is afraid of his wife?" Zuko laughed.

"When you get married, you will know how scary a wife is." Iroh smiled.

"Then... As fire lord, I will give you a task." Zuko tried to reach the pen and the paper on the table.

"A task?" Iroh sighed. "Anyway, I will sleep now. Sleep tight, Zuko." Iroh reached the pillow and hugged it.

"Yeah. Good night, father." Then he mumbled "Though it is morning now."

"Mai!" Zuko yelled as loudly as he could now.

Iroh started to get up and then he yawned and stretched. He looked around with his half-opened eyes and then his eyes opened widely. There were a lot of cherry blossom trees outside the window and there was the sound of waterfall, too. Iroh realized that he was in the bathhouse where he and Zuko faced Azula. Iroh wore the clothes fast and ran to the corridor. There was an giant airship near the bathhouse and without a doubt, it was Fire Nation's. A voice called him from where the tubs were.

"Father. Over here."

"Zuko." Iroh ran to his son.

"What do you think, father? That airship fly really fast, doesn't it?" Zuko closed his eyes and enjoyed the hot water.

"Somehow I think you changed a little too much." Iroh slapped his forehead.

"What did you just say?"

"Nothing. Anyway, she will kill me because of this, you know." Iroh said and removed his coat to join his son.

"Don't worry, father. This serious business trip of the Fire Lord to Earth Kingdom will end at Ba Sing Se." Zuko explained.

"How long will it take?" Iroh asked worriedly.

"Properly a week. Because we will revisit to all place when we passed as fugitives. We couldn't enjoy them before, did we?" Zuko smiled.

"And you called this a serious business trip." Iroh released a small laugh.

"I told Aang and the others to gather at Ba Sing Se, too. A week is more enough for them to come there. And we will have another party!" Zuko said joyfully "With no cactus juice, of course."

"I just hope that will cool her down a bit." Iroh sunk into the water.

"With me as a present to her, you will be just fine, father." Zuko smiled and looked up at the sky. "I wonder what is mother doing now?"

Meanwhile, in the Jasmine Dragon, the tea maker sneezed and the workers looked at her worriedly. She smiled and put the tea tray on the table

"Don't worry. I am fine."

"Mistress. There is a girl want to meet you!" The guard called.

"Wait, mistress? I thought I told you I need to meet the owner." The small girl said.

"Yes, she is in charge now." The guard said and showed the girl to the tea maker.

"Who are you? Where is previous owner of this tea shop?"

"Oh, you must mean my husband... Wait, don't you happen to be Toph?" The tea maker smiled.

"Husband?" Toph sensed that the maker didn't lie at all. "Why do you know my name?" She when her tongue learned speech again.

"My husband told me a lot about you. My... I haven't told my name yet. My name is Ursa. Nice to meet you." Ursa said as she grabbed Toph's hands.

"Nice to meet you, too. But... are you actress, singer or a famous person?" Toph followed her to a table.

"No, why do you ask?" Ursa helped Toph get on the chair.

"I think I heard your name somewhere... But maybe it is just my imagination after all." Toph smiled.

"Do you want some green tea?" Ursa stood up.

"Yeah, thanks" Toph stopped a little before looked up and asked "Aunt, do you know when will uncle Iroh return?"

"He promised that he will return by this weekend." Ursa looked at Toph and said happily "If you want, you can wait at our house."

"Thanks. It is my pleassure." Toph smiled happily as she watched Ursa came into the kitchen. She mumbled "But I am sure I heared her name from someone...."


	6. Chapter 6

On a road in a Earth Kingdom remote village...

"Really, why is the weather so hot?"

Iroh puffed as he walking with his son to visit the family which was "rescued" by Zuko. They have revisited a lot of places lately. Iroh smiled as he remembered his son's puzzled face when Zuko had to return the ostrich horse and apologized to Song. When Song and her mother learned who Iroh and Zuko are, they insisted that they couldn't take the animal and kept saying that helping the heroes of war was their pleasure. In the end, Zuko returned the ostrich horse in silence before leaving just like the time when he took their animal. And they even paid back the punk one with dual swords who messed with them... Some minutes later, the farm of Lee's family appeared in their sight.

"Father, look. That is the farm I told you." Zuko pointed at the farm eagerly.

"Oh." Iroh opened his eyes widely when he registered the farm.

"What's wrong, father?" Zuko asked confusedly as he looked at his father.

"Nothing." Iroh smiled then, he suddenly pointed at the farm. "Oh, look, there is a kid over there."

"Lee!" Zuko realized the boy at the distance and waved his arm. After seeing that, the boy who named Lee ran to Zuko and said happily. "Zuko, you really come here."

"Of course. Didn't I promise in the letter." Zuko smiled at the boy.

The boy nodded and then, he turned his attention to the old general. Zuko turned back at Iroh. "Well, he is my..."

"Uncle Mushi!" The boy pointed at Iroh's face. The old man raised his hand to greet the boy.

"Eh?" Zuko was struck dumb.

"Where is your parents, Lee?" Iroh rubbed Lee's head.

"They are in the house. How is aunt Ursa?"

"Well, I'd prefer talking about that with your whole family. You know, I am too lazy to tell a story twice." Iroh laughed.

"Okay, Uncle. I will go to tell my parents now." Lee ran to his farm after saying that and Iroh went back to walking. Zuko was leaving alone virtually on the road with a dazed face. "Eh?"

-=Ursa's side=-

_Meanwhile, it had been some days since Toph started stay at Iroh's house. And everyone who got Zuko's invitations had gathered at there. At first, they were surprised at the news that Iroh got married with Ursa in such a short time but after Sokka remembered Ursa was Zuko's mother, they got along with Ursa better and better as they talked about Zuko. On the Sunday, to cheer up Ursa, they took her on a picnic on a hill in the outer ring of Ba Sing Se. After the lunch, everybody sat down and chatted... And Suki asked Ursa about the past of her and the story went on...  
_

_"Aunt Ursa, so... to protect Zuko, you got banished."_

_"Yeah..." Ursa replied with a sad voice.  
_

_"Ozai really is a demon. He would do anything to complete his goal." Sokka lied down on the grass. "And Aang did a greatly dangerous skill just to keep him alive."_

_"Sokka, you just don't get an air nomad." Aang sighed._

_"Aang, I just only think he didn't deserve to live after doing such those things to his own family." Sokka said.  
_

_"No offence, Twinkle Toes. But I think Sokka got a point here." Toph spitted on the ground then, she continued. "Ozai just can keep his lives only because he is Zuko's father."  
_

_"Your life must be so hard after all that happened...." Katara looked at Ursa with sadly eyes.  
_

_"In fact, I was lucky Iroh's men were there. And I lived at a farm in a Earth Kingdom village under their help from that day on." Ursa smiled. "When I lived there, I got Iroh's letter every month. All of them were written about Zuko. It was happy since I felt like I was watching Zuko's growth but it was kind of annoying, too. Don't get me wrong... I only think that he should at least write some lines about how he is." Ursa giggled. "And in the spring of this year, he suddenly appeared before me as a refugee who asked for food. I was really shocked."_

_"That surely was when he was following Zuko." Toph smiled._

_"And then, Iroh and I went into the town and bought some food and tea. In there, we met some of my neighbours__..."_

-=Zuko and Iroh's side=-_  
_

"What!? Mother lived in this farm?" Zuko looked at a farm which was near Lee's family's one. The field was empty since the farm was unused for a month.

"Yeah. I want to rest in here tonight. What about you?" Iroh unlocked the door.

"Where else can i rest?" Zuko shrugged his shoulder as he followed his father into the house. Zuko looked at the house which was his mother's for a decade.

"Well then, I will go to find something to fill my belly." Iroh rubbed his belly.

"Father, You just had lunch." Zuko sighed. "You don't think about making your belly to be big like before, do you?"

"Why do I have to keep thin in this peace time? It is not like we will have a war, right?." Iroh joked.

"Yeah yeah, so I will look around the house then." Zuko smiled and then, he turned around to examine the room.

Some minutes later, Zuko found a black box in the wardrobe and opened it then, he smiled largely after reading some letters inside it. Iroh who was eating near looked at his son with confuse eyes.

"Zuko, What's wrong?" Iroh paused eating.

"Father, I've found all your letter which were sent to mother." Zuko giggled.

"Yeah." Iroh said calmly and then he realized what did his son just find out "What!?" he said loudly.

-=Ursa's side=-

_"Aunt Ursa, do you mind if I ask a personal question?" Sokka raised his hand._

_"Go ahead." Ursa agreed.  
_

_"Just exactly when did you and general Iroh start love each others? Hearing your story, I don't think it was after you was basnished." Sokka asked.  
_

_"Well, to tell the truth, we were a pair since I was sixteen."  
_

_"Wait... If that so, why did you still get married with Ozai?" Suki asked._

_"It a long story. And it's kind of irritating__, too." Ursa forced a laugh.  
_

_"I am so sorry..." Suki hanged down her head._

_"That's okay. Don't worry..." Ursa stopped a little and then, she said with a steady voice. "But I can tell you about how did everything between Iroh and I start... " Ursa smiled as she looked at every kid who were looking at her in palpitation._

-=Zuko and Iroh's =-_  
_

"You want to hear about why didn't I get married with your mother in first place?" Iroh questioned his son. They are sitting at the table and facing each others.

"Yeah. In fact, I don't believe that mother changed her mind and got marriage with Ozai. There must be something fishy, right?"

"It seems I should tell you everything then." Iroh picked up his tea cup "In fact, even the scroll which was hidden didn't say all the truth."

"So it is wrong about mother's decision?"

"That's right, and my brother, Ozai was the one who made our father to chang everything." The tea reflected Iroh's sad golden eyes. And then, Iroh started tell his son about those unforgettable days of his life...


	7. Chapter 7

It was just a normal spring day seventeen years before in the Fire Nation's capital. As usual, even the world was suffering because the war, in here, the capital always kept peaceful. Near the Fire Palace, there was the mansion of the Fire Nation's house which was covered by the pink color of cherry blossom trees. On a small corridor which faced the garden, there were two men who were playing Pai Sho. The younger man moved the tile on the table and then, the older man sighed at that and shook his head.

"You still don't get used to the white lotus tile, Iroh." The older man pointed at a spot near the destination of the tile which was just moved by the younger man. "This spot will make much more opportunity later."

The younger man said nothing and looked at the table. The old man lowered his head and looked at his opponent's eyes.

"This match isn't the thing which is in your mind, is it?" The old man shook the young man's shoulder with his hand.

"Huh? What is it, master Zhou?" Iroh startled and asked his master.

"What are you thinking, young one? You have been weird the whole day." The prime minister stroked his chin and looked worriedly.

"Well, to tell the truth, this morning, Lu Ten said something that bothered me." Iroh looked at the garden then closed his eyes.

"He asked about his mother again?" The old man placed a tile on the table.

Iroh turned his attraction on the table and moved a tile to near the one which was placed by his master. "Yes, like usual, I can do nothing but say sorry to him."

"So I think perhaps you should give him a new mom soon." Zhou laughed and placed a white lotus tile on the table.

"But… To be honest, master, I am afraid of getting close to someone again. Even if I fall in love with someone else, we will properly part someday." Iroh moved his white lotus tile to near his master's one.

"You are being foolish, young one." The master laughed. "People meet each other so they can part someday, that's true. But it was clearly that the next time they meet, their feeling will be stronger." He moved a tile on the table.

Iroh looked up at his master and smiled weakly. "Master, but isn't that pointless if one of them dies?" And then, he looked at the table and moved his white lotus tile so he can took out his master's one. But he was shocked because of that. "Master, why didn't you move…"

"Then they will reunite in the spirit world someday." The master patted his hand on his student's shoulder. "And because you took out my lotus tile, I lost this game. I think that's enough for today."

"Huh? But isn't this the first game we played in this morning?" Iroh opened his eyes widely.

"You should listen to your master and get relaxed. Besides, there will be a tea ceremony in the next room soon and I think you don't want to miss it." The master grinned and pointed his finger to a room behind him.

"The tea ceremony always doesn't have ginseng tea…" Iroh said as he met the glance of his master. "…But I think I will go, anyway." Iroh scratch the back of his head.

After half-opened the door slowly, Iroh looked around the tea room. There was still no one here yet. Iroh opened both the door widely then found himself a cushion and rested his back on a wall. Iroh started thinking about his wife as he closed his eyes.

As he thought about his wife, his face became sadder. The scene of the first time they meet started to appear in his mind, he was sleeping like this in the dinner room and she woke him up with her sweet voice. "General Iroh, you will catch a cold if you sleep here."

"Just give me some more minutes, my dear…" Iroh mumbled and smiled happily as he replied to the voice he heard.

"Dear?" The voice casted confusedly and it made Iroh to open his eyes widely. In front of him was Ursa, the only daughter of his master, who was placing her hands on her cheeks as she blushed. And there were her companions who came here to join the tea ceremony, too.

"Oh, Ursa, I didn't hear you come in." Iroh rubbed his head as he looked at Ursa with confused eyes.

"Sisters, look at Ursa's face!" A girl pointed at Ursa and shouted.

"Dear… What a sweet thing to call each other." A girl shook her head with her hands on her cheeks.

"No, you get it wrong. It doesn't like it looks like." Ursa shook her head and her face became much red than before. "Come on, general Iroh. Say something."

"Huh?" Iroh still didn't have any clue about the situation. He looked at Ursa and the other girl and finally turned back to Ursa with confused eyes.

"It seems someone lost his voice already." A girl laughed.

"Ursa, I can't believe you didn't tell us that you and the hero of our nation are a couple." A girl smiled.

"Err… A couple? What are you talking about?" Iroh asked confusedly.

"Prince Iroh, don't be shy. Believe in us, we won't tell anyone about the lovely scene just now." A girl placed a hand on her mouth and chuckled.

"I think there is a misunderstanding here." Iroh smiled "I just, you know, sleep talking."

"Really?" A girl asked.

"Yeah, there is nothing between lady Ursa and me, right, Ursa?" Iroh looked at Ursa who was wearing the disappointed face. "What's wrong, Ursa?" Iroh asked confusedly.

"Nothing…" Ursa turned to her friends. "See, do you guys satisfy now? Let's start the tea ceremony."

Every girl and chuckled as they already saw through Ursa. But the only man at the room still scratched his head and tried to understand Ursa with a goofy face. After some minutes of confusing, he stood up and brought his cushion to near Ursa and joined the tea ceremony.

Later on, during the ceremony, after taking a sip of her tea which was made by Iroh, Ursa turned to the general and asked happily.

"General Iroh, this is delicious."

"Thank goodness, I thought it may be a little too bitter for you." Iroh smiled.

"Not at all, I wish I can make tea like this." Ursa looked at her cup. "The tea I made always tasted bad."

"Your tea is good, Ursa." Iroh smiled. "But if you really want to learn, I can teach you."

"You will teach me?"

"Of course." Iroh nodded. "How about tomorrow? I will teach you after finish training with your father."

Ursa blushed at what she just heard as she turned away to hide her blushes. Iroh moved and looked at the girl's red face closely and then, he touched her forehead. "What's wrong? Do you have a fever?"

Ursa was so embarrassed when looking closely at Iroh's face as to accidently drop the tea cup on Iroh. Ursa said sorry immediately as she took out her handkerchief to clean Iroh's clothes. When Iroh tried to stop Ursa, his hand touched hers and that made the couple could only looked at each other's eyes. Looking at that tense situation, Ursa's friends chuckled and started to leave the room and the couple alone…


	8. Chapter 8

From that day, Iroh started to teach Ursa right after the morning training with her father. Although he only thought it was just for killing time at first, but the girl slowly made a space in his heart. The season changed as their feeling changed from the mere friendship into the passion love. Iroh spent more and more time with the girl and in his heart, the sadness and loneliness fade and was replaced by the love and the happiness.

Their feeling continued to grow rapidly until one day, the day which was exactly a year from that day, their anniversary. In the palace's garden, Iroh confessed his love with her out loud and that was witnessed by a lot of people even their father who were teaching firebending to Ozai. Realized they was watching closely by a lot of people, Ursa was embarrassed and after took the lotus flowers from her lover's hand, she ran out of the garden and acted cold with Iroh in several weeks later.

With that, the rumor about the lover birds was spread in the whole palace in just one day. Every servant was so happy with it because of that they were the one who witness the growth of their love since Iroh and Ursa only dated in the palace's garden to drink tea or playing music. But there was a person who was greatly angry about it, and he was no one but the prince Ozai. Different with Iroh who only cared about Ursa after being together with her, Ozai was the one who liked her from their early childhood. And that love turned into the hatefulness which was clearly showed on his angry golden eyes. Ozai couldn't notice that the Fire Lord looked at his son with an evil smirk on his face.

The time passed fast as the 18th birthday of Ursa became closer and closer. That was the day when their parents will do their promise that they will watch their children and judge them to announce to the nation who will get marriage with lady Ursa. But in a way, the announcement won't be any surprise since the rumor about the crown prince and his lover had been spread all over the nation at the moment.

Although the night before of that destiny day, the general couldn't sleep at all, he still arrived at his master's mansion in time to do the morning training. While doing prepare the target for the firebending training, Iroh imagined the happy life he will have with Ursa and Lu Ten by his side. Just thinking about it made a smile to bloom on his face and made he couldn't realize that a woman was sneaking to him. Suddenly, both of Iroh's eyes were covered by two small and smooth hands. A familiar voice casted right behind him and belong with it is a small chuckling.

"Guess who?"

"Master Zhou?" Iroh smiled as he said with a joyful voice. He never could wrong that voice with anyone but messing with the girl who owned the voice always was his hobby.

"Wrong! Try again."

"Really? But the voice I heard was so old. Oh, are you Aunt Li or Lo?" Iroh joked again and released a loud laugh.

"Geez, is my voice really that old?" Ursa removed her hand out of her lover's eyes and hugged him.

"It will never be, my dear."

Iroh turned back and they looked at each other with adoration. They come close to kissing before a coughing killed the moment. The voice owner was no one but Zhou who was standing in the center of the sparring circle. And with the look of his face, the couple could tell that he was pretty angry now. "What are you two doing here!?" The prime minister shouted furiously.

Iroh had never seen his master in this furious. He tried to grin and scratched his head before talking like nothing serious. "Well, I am preparing for the morning training and Ursa…"

"Training? What are you blabbing about!?" The master shouted again. This time, the voice was much more furiously and it made even the general shivered and lowered his head.

Looked at the couple who were standing and lowered their head in silence, Zhou grinned as he success at freaking his children out. Seeing that was enough, he surprised the couple with a loud laughing and a gentle voice. "Student Iroh, you came to wrong training ground. Now go home and change your clothes and make sure you don't be so tense and forget the party. Ursa, you will do the same thing. Hurry."

The old master shooed his children away and then, he began returning to his room. Watching the couple finished what they were doing back then from the window, Zhou mumbled joyfully with a smile on his face. "It is nice to be young."


	9. Chapter 9

That day, it was supposed to be the happiest day of the crown prince Iroh of the Fire Nation, but now, in the midnight, no one in the Fire Palace can say anything when see the look of murder he'd been wearing since returning from the party. As he walked toward to the Fire Lord's chamber, the murder aura around him became heavier bit by bit. Reached to the chamber's door, Iroh did nothing but burst the door with a huge fire blast. His father, Fire Lord Azulon was sitting in the middle of the room and acted normally as if nothing out of the ordinary.

"Oh, isn't it my beloved Iroh? You come here to drink some calming tea?"

"I don't need any calming tea! What is the meaning of that!?" Iroh shouted furiously as he came in the room. His fists started to be covered by the orange flame.

"That? What are you talking about, my son?" Azulon asked but instead of having a surprised look on his face, he was wearing an evil look which made clear that he knew very well what the crown prince was talking about.

Iroh's face become much angrier as he shouted at his own father "I heard from Master Zhou, why did you insist on making Ozai become Ursa's husband!?"

_The general started to think about when he went to the doorstep of his master's mansion, prepared to return to the palace. But right before he stepped on the palanquin, a familiar voice called his name and a familiar girl ran to his side with tear ran on her cheeks. Seeing that, Iroh knew that something bad was happening. He ran to her and hugged her to calm her down. "Ursa, what's wrong"_

_Ursa burst into tears as she hugged Iroh tightly. "Iroh… We… I…" She tried to talk but she couldn't say anything as she began crying harder. After telling Ursa to wait, the general ran as fast as he could into inside the mansion to find out what happened. In the mansion, a message from his master made his heart broke to piece. And it also made him went to confront his father with such furiously mood._

The Fire Lord stood up and began walking to the window of the chamber. As he reached to it, he looked at the sky and asked a question quietly. "Do you really want to know?"

The crown prince answered in doubt as he looked at his father closely. "Yes, explain it, now!"

Instead of giving an answer, the Fire Lord suddenly turned back and firebended a fire blast into his own son without hesitating. But as Iroh already predicted it when seeing his father quickly made a firebending form, the fire blast narrowly missed to the left side of him. Making himself a firm form, Iroh shouted. "What is the meaning of that, father?"

Azulon didn't say anything as he began promptly charged to his son with lightning started to spark on his fingers. Right before getting too close to his son, the Fire Lord shot an incredible bolt of lightning at Iroh. The young firebender quickly remove his firebending form and swung his arm to catch the lightning. After letting the lightning ran to his other arm, Iroh thrust that arm forward and redirected the lightning on the window's direction, cause the wall to be destroyed.

After redirected that bolt of lightning, the general backed a few step and his head became dizzy. But before Iroh could recover from it, a hand quickly grabbed his face and pulled him down to the wooden floor. "This is the answer, prince Iroh." The old firebender released his son's face and said with a cold voice which can even made the general shiver.

"What…?" Iroh tried to stand up as he asked his own father about what just happened. About how could that fight was an answer.

"You have become so weak. And it was all because of that little girl, she turned you into a weakling who couldn't even beat an old man like me." The Fire Lord said as he looked at his oldest son who was wearing a disapproval face while trying to stand up. Seeing that face, the old firebender frowned and he pulled his son down to the floor one more time in an instant. But this time, the force was so strong as to make the wooden floor break when Iroh's head crashed on it. The mind of the crown prince became fader and fader as he heard some words from his father. "This will teach you how to rule this nation. You can't become the fire lord while being such a weakling. I should have changed my mind if you redirected lightning at me just now."

The Fire Lord turned his back to his son after finishing the cold line. Iroh's eyes closed… That time, it was the first time he lost something to Ozai and it continued until Ozai robbed everything he knew and… everyone he loved.


	10. Chapter 10

In that remote village of the Earth Kingdom which was being visited by the Fire Lord, there was only the sound of the leaves which were shaking under the wind in the noon. But in the room which was using to rest by the two firebenders, there was no sound at all, everything was silent. The young firebender looked closely at his father who was sitting in front of him. He lowered his head and closed his eyes. Zuko could never think his father who could always make joke could have a painful past like that.

"Well, I was just like you before, I couldn't do anything against my father. Because of that, in the next week, the betrothal ceremony started…" Iroh stopped for a second to take a sip from his tea cup. The bitter tea had gotten cold but Iroh didn't even heat up the tea cup as he drunk the whole tea cup. Finished, the old firebender closed his eyes before returning to telling the story.

"And at the night of the ceremony, we did the thing that we should never do. It was the first time and also the last. But, we received an amazing gift afterward…" Iroh smiled and looked up at his young firebender. Hearing that, Zuko opened his eyes widely and quickly raised his head to look at his father, realized what was the general going to say. "That was you, prince Zuko..." Iroh pulled Zuko into an embracement.

Zuko smiled as he hugged his father back. "It is Fire Lord Zuko, Uncle." Zuko joked as he hugged the man who was the most important of him more tightly. "And thanks for giving birth to me." Hearing that, Iroh brought a hand up to the back of Zuko's head and smiled happily.

After some father and son moments, both of them parted and Zuko scratched his cheek. "Father, you know, if we leave now, you can still make it back for that romantic picnic."

"But we still haven't visited the oasis." Iroh said while standing up and going heating the tea pot.

"Look inside yourself, Father. What do you want?" Zuko tried to imitate Iroh's voice and pointed at his father while grinning.

"You trained a lot, didn't you?" Iroh smiled pleasingly at his son's trick.

* * *

That night, in a marketplace of the outer ring of Ba Sing Se, Iroh and Zuko walked pleasantly down the lane. That was a long time since the last time Zuko visited this place. It hasn't changed much even the war was over. In the night, the whole marketplace was lighted by the lanterns of several stands and shops. He looked at the market with a feeling of nostalgic in him. This place taught him a lot of thing, the way Fire Nation "shared" its greatness to other nations, why people kept coming to Ba Sing Se as refugees… and it also was where he got the first date. Zuko turned his back to talk to his father but he couldn't see anyone behind him. The old tea maker already began examining a basket-selling shop. Zuko sighed while coming near his father.

"Father, what are you doing? I thought we will go home immediately!" The fire lord nagged.

"Well, I just want to buy this basket." Iroh examined the basket while turning his head back and answering to his son. "It looks nice, doesn't it?"

"If this is for containing the tea set, may I suggest this one?" The owner realized the tea maker worked in Pao's tea shop back then.

"No, this time it is a romantic picnic." Iroh smiled and handed over some coins and picked up the basket. "Son, what do you think about this lavender basket?" Iroh showed the basket to his son who was standing with arms crossed.

"Huh? I thought he is your nephew?" The shop owner looked at the two men in question. Iroh and Zuko quickly exchange a look, unsure of what to say. In the end, Zuko quickly answered with no expression on his face. "He adopted me."

"Oh, I see. Well, thanks for buying."

The shop owner bowed to two men. Iroh bowed to the merchant and walked away with Zuko. On the road, Zuko started the conversation. "Father, do you really think it is still time for a romantic picnic?"

"It's okay. We just only want to have a date." Iroh shifted the basket to his right hand. "You are thinking about Jin, right?" Iroh gave Zuko a small nudge with his elbow. A large, goofy grin appeared on the old man's face.

"Stop it, father. She and Mai tried to kill me." Zuko shivered as he thought about the last time he saw Jin. Mai showed how better a knife thrower she was and gave Jin a chance to try it. And the target was right on Zuko's head. Then, an idea flashed across his mind. "Father, do you know the firelight fountain?"

Iroh scratched his cheek while thinking about that sparkling place where young couples often have a date near it. "I think I am a little too old for that."

Zuko glanced at his father and shook his head. "You should have said that a lot of times before, you know."

* * *

An hour later, Ursa and the team Avatar appeared at the firelight fountain. The light was lit but there was no one here but them. The members of the Gaang got close to their companion and looked at the fountain together, leaving Ursa, Toph and Mai alone. Toph grumbled against Mai who just appeared in Iroh's house to give them a message. "Mai, do we really have to wait here? I can't see anything but those couples keep praising this fountain."

"I don't know. That messenger lord didn't say anything." Mai said it while showing no emotion at all. But Toph could sense that Mai was annoying as well. Before the Earth Kingdom girl could begin teasing, her earthbending told her that there was a man who was getting closed, but it also told that was a friend of her. Looking at the alley where Iroh was going to come out, Toph shouted happily and ran into that direction. "Uncle!"

Everybody except Mai was too surprised to say anything. Some seconds later, cheerful Toph dragged Iroh who was wearing a long face out of the alley. Seeing that, Ursa smiled and began walking to her husband's direction. After telling Toph to quit dragging him, Iroh took a deep breath and faced his beloved wife. But before he could start the conversation, Ursa pulled him into a tender hug, to his surprise. Raised his hand and hugged Ursa, the general smiled happily. "Those kids are still here, you know."

Both of them parted and Iroh started to talk while scratching his back. "Ursa, I have to tell you something." Iroh lowered his head "I did something without asking your opinion."

"What are you talking about?" Ursa asked confusedly but suddenly, her emotion changed into angry as she glanced at her husband and stood with arms akimbo. "Did you find for yourself a concubine?"

"Uh, no no no." Iroh shook his head several times and grinned goofily. "But I did find for myself a son."

"What!?" Ursa still have her arms akimbo as she asked in surprise. The Gaang gaped at the line was just release from the old general's mouth.

After did some gestures to show that he didn't have anything to his pocket, Iroh grinned and said joyfully. "See, there was no old scroll on me."

Realized what did that mean, Ursa covered her mouth with her hand and gasped. "You gave it to him!?". The Gaang looked at the couple and still didn't know what was going on here. With tears flows down her cheek, Ursa asked in a voice choked with emotion. "How did he react?"

Seeing his wife like that, Iroh hugged Ursa and comforted her. "Don't worry, my dear. He accepted it pretty well." Iroh broke the hug and placed his hands on her shoulders and joked. "Because of that treachery, I have something to make it up to you."

Drying her tears, Ursa smiled at her husband. "You mean you can make it up to me with this date?"

The general laughed. "Of course not, and I am sure that gift is amazing enough to make you cry in happy." Finished talking, Iroh clapped his hand and a sound of music being played on sungi horn started to resound, to everyone's surprise. Iroh closed his eyes and began enjoying the "Four Seasons". On the music night on the ship, even he convinced a lot of time, Zuko still didn't play it. And now…

Looking at the music's direction, everyone could see there was a person who was playing the sungi horn while walking down the main road. When the man got close enough to being seen under the light of the candles, the Gaang smiled happily as they recognized their friend. Ursa couldn't do anything as she didn't know for sure this was a dream or not. Her beloved son, the son she couldn't see for ten years now was standing in front of her and smiling. Ursa raised her hand to cover her mouth and the tears flows down her cheeks. Suddenly, a hand placed on her shoulder. "What are you waiting for? Go get my gift."

Ursa nodded and after giving her husband a kiss, she ran into her son and threw herself into Zuko's arm in a hug. Looking at the family reunion, the female members of the Gaang began crying as well. Aang and Sokka ran close to the fire lord's family and shouted joyfully. Sokka feigned dry his tears and talked in voice choked with emotion. "This is so beautiful. I think I will have to redo the team Avatar's painting."

The two firebenders turned their attention to the Water Tribe boy and looked at him like he has grown a third head. "What!?". Iroh got close to the boy and smiled while placing a hand on the boomerang boy's shoulder. "Just draw a painting like the last time with my wife in it and you will know what." Then, the general laughed and patted on the boy's shoulder before turning back to his family, leaving the water tribe boy gulped and begun being bathed in sweat…

* * *

A/N: Well, this is the final chapter XD Please read and review :D


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